Pushing or pulling arrangement for a mobile vacuum cleaner



March 14, 1961 w. N. KEMNITZ PUSHING OR PULLING ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOBILE VACUUM CLEANER Filed July 19 1957 fl V .i II:

PUSHING OR PULLING ARRANGEMENT FOR A MOBILE VACUUM CLEANER Warren N. Kemnitz, Willoughhy, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed July 19, 1957, Ser. No. 673,051

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-.327)

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the mobile type, that is, vacuum cleaners that are provided with means for supporting them and for moving them about. The present invention is most useful when incorporated in a mobile vacuum cleaner of the type which is intended to be rolled from room to room and up and down stairs, and for the purposes of simplicityand clarity in disclosing the invention, it will herein be illustrated and described as being incorporated in this type of mobile vacuum cleaner. Although the invention is presently believed to be most useful when incorporated in this type of mobile vacuum cleaner, it should be understood that is may beutilized in any mobile vacuum cleaner, regardless of whether or not it is able to be moved up and down stairs.

The vacuum cleaner art has always regarded mobility as one of the prime attributes of a vacuum cleaner, along with the fundamental, concomitant attribute of efiicient cleaning ability. Contemporaneous vacuum cleaner manufacturers have devoted much effort in developing easily operated and maneuvered, mobile vacuum cleaners, and most of the commercially successful, present day, vacuum cleaners have some measure of mobility. Mobility is achieved in some vacuum cleaners by moving them about on a dolly, or by attaching casters to them. A particularly successful, contemporaneous, mobile vacuum cleaner is one which is currently manufactured and sold by the applicants assignee and which takes the form of a vacuum cleaner casing in the nature of a drum or cylinder which is supported at its opposite ends on large wheels. The casing houses suction producing and filtering means, and has in its side wall, means defining a suction inlet to which a vacuum cleaner hose may be detachably connected; In most contemporaneous, mobile vacuumcleaners, including the referred-to one manufactured by applicants assignee, the vacuum cleaner hose comprises a flexible section which is detachably connected to the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner casing, and arigid wand section which is designed to have vacuum cleaning tool attachments detachably connected to its free end.

' Regardless ofthe manner in which mobility is achieved, it is desirable to incorporate in mobile vacuum cleaners,

some means for enabling the user to selectively effect anecessary that the temporary connection be sufficiently firm and secure in order to permit moving the vacuum cleaner casing up and down stairs without permitting the connection to fail. Such afeaturehas been provided by each of the inventions disclosed and claimed in Hunter Patent 2,769,998 andShalvoy et a1. Patent #2,769,996,

Patented Mar. 14, 1 9 61 tion of thenecessity for exerting energy being one of the principal purposes of domestic appliances, it will be readily understood that it is most desirable that the same functional advantages afforded by the referred-to Hunter and ,Shalvoy et al. patented inventions be afforded without requiring the user to remove the vacuum cleaning tool attachment from the freeend of the rigid wand section of the vacuum cleaner hose before etfecting the firm and secure connection with the vacuum cleaner casing. v

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved vacuum cleaner construction wherein the rigid wand section of a vacuum cleaner hose which is used with a mobile cleaner maybe selectively and temporarily connected to the vacuum cleaner casing in a firm and secure manner and effect a rigid handle therefor which is cap-able of being usedgfor pushing or pulling the mobile vacuum cleaner casing about a floor surface, for example, from room to room, and up and down stairs, withoutrequiring the removal of the vacuum cleaner tool attachment which is utilized to perform the cleaning function, without the removal of. any other parts, and without'requiring the connection of any parts other than that of temporarily connecting the vacuum cleaner tool itself to the vacuum cleaner casing.

The object of this invention should be distinguished from the object, structure, and operation of McAnerney Patent #2,232,548, assigned to the assignee of the instant application. Although this patent discloses anarrangement for effecting a selective and temporary pushing and pulling means for a mobile vacuum cleaner, and it is not necessary to remove the vacuum cleaner tool from the rigid wand section of the vacuum'cleaner hose for effecting this arrangement it should be noted that: (1) it is necessary to utilize secondary securing means between the rigid wand section and the vacuum cleaner casing, in addition to connecting the vacuum cleaner tool to a bracket on the vacuum cleaner casing, and (2.) it is necessary to tilt the vacuum cleaner casingon its rear wheels in order to move it about, and therefore, wherein it would be most difficult, if not impossible, to push and mobile vacuum cleaner up and down stairs.

The object of this invention should also be distin guished from-that disclosed and claimed in the application of R. A. Orr, Serial No. 497,123, now Patent Number 2,862,220, assigned to the assignee of the instant application. Although the Orr application discloses and claims a pushing and pulling arrangement for a mobile vacuum cleaner, wherein it is solely necessary for the cleaning tool to be disposed within a bracket on a mobile dolly in order to effect a temporary handle, it shouldvbe noted that the instant invention lends itself to utilization in moving a mobile vacuum cleaner up and down stairs, as well as over a floor surface, whereas the construction in the Orr application is principally concerned with moving a vacuum cleaner over a floor surface.

The object of. the invention is achieved -in one form by providing in a mobile vacuum cleaner having a hose which includes a rigid wand section, latching mechanism on the vacuum cleaner casing, and latching mechanism on a vacuum cleaner tool attachment which is adapted to be rigidly'connected to said want section, and arranging these mechanisms so asto co-operate when selectively coupled to each other to form afirm and secure conned; tion between thevacuum'cleaner casing and the "rigid i pull the wand section of the vacuum cleaner hose and thereby provide a temporary rigid handle for pushing or pulling the vacuum cleaner casing about a floor surface or up and downstairs. f

Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be novel and my invention will be clear from the following description .and claim taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the preferred form of mobile vacuum cleaner with the instant invention incorporated therein, and illustrating a vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment connected to the vacuum cleaner casing;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially longitudinally through the vacuum cleaner tool and the latching mechanism which is mounted on the vacuum cleaner casing;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the confronting portions of the co-operating latching mechanisms;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the other side of the latching mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3 which is mounted on the vacuum cleaner casing, and

Fig. 5 is a somewhat schematic view illustrating the entire vacuum cleaner as it appears in use when the vacuum cleaner tool has been connected to the latching mechanism on the vacuum cleaner casing and the vacuum cleaner is being maneuvered over the floor surface by the user and about to be rolled down stairs.

By reference to the drawings, it will be seen that the preferred form of the vacuum cleaner in which the instant invention may be incorporated comprises one having a generally cylindrical casing 10, a pair of large wheels 12, one being rotatably secured at each axial end of the vacuum cleaner casing, and an inlet coupling tube 14 which is secured to one side of the vacuum cleaner casing. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the suction producing and filtering means may be incorporated within the vacuum cleaner casing, and that there will be additionally provided with the vacuum cleaner structure described thus far, a vacuum cleaner hose and one or more vacuum cleaner tool attachments. The vacuum cleaner hose normally comprises a flexible section and a rigid wand section. The flexible section is normally secured to the inlet coupling tube and a cleaning tool attachment is normally detachably but rigidly connected to the free end of the rigid wand section. These structural elements are present in the vacuum cleaner contemplated by the instant application, and by reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner hose comprising the flexible section 16, which is coupled at one end to the inlet'coupling tube 14, and the rigid wand section 18, which at one end is coupled to the flexible section 16 and at its free end has a vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment 20 detachably but rigidly secured thereto.

The improved pushing and pulling arrangement for a mobile vacuum cleaner is effected by latching'mechanism which is carried by the vacuum cleaner casing and latching mechanism which is carried by the vacuum cleaner tool attachment. By reference principally to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the latching mechanism which is carried by the vacuum cleaner casingv is generally designated 22, and that the latching mechanism which is carried by the vacuumcleaner tool attachment is designated 24 and. is incorporated inthe soleplatc 56, which forms a partof the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment 20.

he latching mssha fism 22 comprises a a plate 26 having a number of mounting flanges 28 for securing the flat plate 26 and latching mechanism which it supports to, the vacuum cleaner casing; the particular securing means may take numerousforms and may, for example, be affected by welding or the. like. Centrally of the flat plate 26, an elongated openingllllis located, andspaced therefrom at one side of the flat plate 26 another elongated opening 32 is located. Secured to one face of the flat plate 26 are a pair of channel-like, latch bar guide brackets 34 and a pair of U-shaped, latching head guide brackets 36. All of these brackets may be secured to the flat plate 26 in any conventional manner, such as welding or the like.

A pair of generally L-shaped, latch bars 38 are associated with the flat plate 26 and the brackets which it supports in such a manner that the elongated leg 40 of each latch bar is slidably received within one of the brackets 34, and the shorter, upstanding leg 42 of each latch bar projects through the opening 30 and away from the other face of the flat plate 26. Each of the latch bars 38 has formed at its end which is remote from the end that is connected to its upstanding leg 42, a latching head 44. Each latching head 44 includes a latching notch 46 and a curved, guiding surface 48. From Fig. 3 it will be observed that when mounted in assembled positions, the latch bars 38 are disposed in such a manner that their upstanding legs 42 adjacently oppose each other and are separated by a compression spring 50, whereas the latching heads 44 extend in opposite directions away from each other and are slidably received in the brackets 36, respectively. It will be noted that the compression spring 50 is positioned and mounted on projections 51 formed on the opposing ends of the legs 40 of the latch bars.

It will, therefore, be understood that the latch bars 38 are biased longitudinally away from each other by the compression spring 50, which is compressed when initially mounted, and therefore, is normally stressed, and that the latching heads 44 are biased longitudinally away from each other to the extent permitted by the peripheral edge of the opening 30 in the flat plate 26, which limits the movement of the upstanding latch bar legs 42 away from each other. It will also be understood that the latch bars 38 are selectively retractable, in that they may be forced to move toward each other. This movement may be affected, as will subsequently become apparent, either by forcing the latching mechanism carried by the vacuum cleaner tool attachment over the latching heads 44 when it is desired to connect the latching mechanisms, or by a manual manipulation on the part of the user when it is desired to disconnect the latching mechanisms.

The latching mechanism carried by the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment 20 can be clearly seen in Fig. 3, and simply comprises a pair of spaced, parallel, latching pins 52 which are secured in the tools nozzle area 54, which is formed by the soleplate 56. Adjacent each latching pin 52 in the soleplate 56 is formed an opening 58.

In order to make a connection between the latching mechanisms 22 and 24, it is simply necessary: (1) to dispose one of the latching pins 52 in the latching heads 44, (this can normally be effected by making a nonplanar approach on the latching mechanism 22 with the latching mechanism 24); (2) by utilizing the line of contact between the engaging latching pin 52 and its associated latching notch 46 as a pivoting axis, to pivot the latching mechanism 24 toward the latching mechanism 22 until the other latching pin 52 contacts the curved surface 48 of the other latching head 44, and (3) to exert a closing force between the latching mechanisms, thereby causing the latch bar carrying the other latching head 44 to be retracted against the bias of the spring 50 until the other latching pin 52 clears the tip of and slides into the latching notch 46 of the other latching head 44. In this condition, both latch bars are longitudinally biased by the spring 50 away from each other, and the latching heads 44 press against the latching pins 52 and effect a firm and secure connection between the latching mechanisms.

When the latching mechanisms are connected to each other, the parts thereof are disposed as illustrated, in

Figs. 1, 2 and 5. With particular reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the latching pins 52 are disposed in the latching notches 46 formed in the latching heads 44. It will also be seen that portions of each of the latching heads 44 and their associated guide brackets 36 project through the openings 58 formed in the soleplate 56.

'When the latching mechanisms are connected, they form a firm and secure connection, thereby temporarily conventing the rigid wand section 18 intoa pushing or pulling handle for the vacuum cleaner casing. With reference to Fig. 5, it will there be seen that at this time, the vacuum cleaner casing maybe rolled back and forth and maneuvered over a floor surface F, and/ or be moved up or down stairs S. All of this movement is permitted because of the firm and secure connection between the latching mechanism carried by the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment and the latching mechanism carried by the vacuum cleaner casing. It should be observed that when it is desired to move the vacuum cleaner, for example, after one room has been cleaned in the normal manner, this connection may be elfected readily without removing the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment which the user may have just been using from the rigid wand section, and without requiring any adjustment or manual manipulation on the part of the user U, other than to efliect the connection between the latching mechanisms, i.e., slide one of the latching pins 52 into one of the latching notches 46 in one of the latching heads 44, and then pivot the cleaning tool so as to snap the other latching pin 52 over the curved surface 48 of the other latching head 44 into position in the notch 46 of the other latching head 44. After the connection has been effected, the rigid wand section 18 may be used as a handle to maneuver the vacuum cleaner to the next area to be cleaned.

When the vacuum cleaner has been moved to the new area desired to be cleaned, it is necessary to disconnect the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment from the vacuum cleaning casing in order that the user may then be free to utilize the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment in a normal manner to clean the floor surface of the new area. In order to permit ready and quick disconnection, the latching mechanism 22 includes a pair of L-shaped finger release handles 60, each of which includes a short leg 62, which is connected at its free end to a free end of one of the upstanding legs 42 of the latch bars 38, and a longer, handle forming leg 64 which projects through the opening 32 to the face of the flat plate 26 on which the latch bars reside. In order to manually unlock the connection formed by the latching mechanisms 22 and 24, it is simply necessary to press the handle forming legs 64 toward each other, as is illustrated schematically in Fig. 3; this will cause the latch bars 38 to be moved toward each other against the bias of the spring 50. On sufi'icient movement of the latch bars 38, the tip of one or the other of the latching heads 44 will clear the latching pin 52 and allow the vacuum cleaner floor tool attachment to be moved away from the vacuum cleaner casing.

In view of the foregoi g, it is believed to be apparent that a vacuum cleaner pushing and pulling ararngement has been provided which is simple, easy to operate and highly effective for its intended purposes. The improved vacuum cleaner pushing and pulling arrangement permits the user to clean and move from room to room, and

up or down stairs, without necessitating the removal of the cleaning tool attachment or the making of any adjustments or manual manipulations, other than to simply place the cleaning tool in position adjacent the latching mechanism formed on the vacuum cleaner casing, and by a simple manipulation to lock the co-operating latching mechanisms to each other. All of the foregoing may'be as downstair areas, without requiring the removal of the cleaning tool, any adjustments, or any diflicult manipulations; therefore, the instant invention significantly adds to the over-all utility of contemporary vacuum cleaners,

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of my invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, and I contemplate that various and other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, my intention that the appended claim will cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A vacuum cleaner comprising a cylindrical casing, a pair of wheels mounted on said casing, a suction hose including a flexible section and a rigid wand section, said flexible section being connected to said casing, a floor cleaning tool connected to the end of said wand section, said tool having an elongated nozzle portion extending transversely with respect to said wand, a flat plate secured to said casing and extending radially outwardly therefrom, a pair of latching bars mounted in end-to-end relation on said plate for limited movement along a line parallel to the axis of said casing, a spring positioned between said bars so as to bias them outwardly toward the side edges of said plate, handle means for retracting said bars against the biasing force of said spring, and a pair of spaced abutments on said nozzle portion spaced laterally from the end of said wand and positioned so as to be engageable with said bars, whereby said cleaning tool may be releasably secured to said plate so as to form a rigid connection between said wand and said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,757,021 Remondino May 6, 1930 2,232,548 McAnerney Feb. 18, 1941 2,516,907 Penfold Aug. 1, 1950 2,740,153 Bishop Apr. 3, 1956 2,769,996 Shalvoy et a1. Nov. 13, 1956 2,769,998 Hunter Nov. 13, 1956 2,850,756 Ziegler et a1. Sept. 9, 1958 2,876,479 Kaufman Nov. 10, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF vCORRECTION Patent No, 2374 344 March 14, 196;

I Warren N. Kemnitz It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 69, for "want" read wand column 4, line 54, after latching", second occurrance, insert notch 46 of one of the latching column 6, line 20, after "tool" and before the comma insert attachment Signed and, sealed this 14th day of November 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer USCOM M-DC 

